Windows To the Soul
by EliseMcKenna214
Summary: Maka's dreams begin to affect her perception of Soul, and she battles between the truth and what's right. (A SoulxMaka Fanfic) *Disclaimer: I do not own "Soul Eater" or any of its subsequent characters.
1. Part 1

Sweat trickled down her temple and her labored breathing left puffs of steam in the chill night air. She lay on a park bench, her hair tangling in the splintered wood. Her knees were bent, forcing her skirt to fall back towards her hips and her dizzy eyes perceived a tuft of white, spiky hair between her legs.

"Soul…" she whimpered his name, her eyes squeezing shut in pleasure. "Soul –." He stopped his tongue from moving and looked up at his desperate meister. She glanced at him, lust filling the silence, he grinned at her and placed two fingers at her opening. Her eyes widened at his supposed intentions, and as he began to enter her folds, she gasped.

Her eyes snapped open. Saturday morning sunlight streamed through the small opening in her purple curtains. She looked towards it and sighed. After a moment she sat up, relishing in the warmth of the room and letting it excuse her from facing the world. She got up anyway, forcing herself to make a pot of coffee and sit at the small, round table in the kitchen. She refused to open the blinds, and so the whole apartment was washed in sepia. She took a sip of her black coffee and shut her eyes.

 _That was the fourth dream this week,_ she thought. _I can't even begin to imagine how many it's been this month. If he had any idea I imagined those things…_ She thought of her lazy-ass roommate and his lopsided grin and smiled despite herself. She wasn't sure what had brought these dreams on, but she was honest enough by now to admit she liked them. It was strange though, every dream she'd had so far involved them fooling around, but never going all the way. She wondered for a moment if she was afraid, but that only made her wonder what it was she was actually afraid of…

At that moment, the item of her thoughts walked into the room, boxers askew and one eye glued shut. She hid a small smile behind her coffee mug as he shuffled into the room and let a yawn loose.

"It's about time you got up," she said, and he only groaned. He began to pour himself a cup of coffee and fill it with milk and sugar. He then plopped himself down in the chair across from hers and took a long sip. He rubbed his eyes to open them and when he did he looked around the room.

"What are you doing with the curtains closed?" he said. She took a moment before replying.

"I'm enjoying the silence…" she said at almost a whisper.

"What?"

"You're right!" she then exclaimed, and rushed up and snapped the curtains open. Sun fell into the room and landed right in Soul's eyes and he growled.

"Damn it, Maka! What is wrong with you?" she laughed and walked over to the fridge to get the eggs. It was time for breakfast.

The beginning of summer was nice. It wasn't Maka's favorite, but it was the perfect time of year to practice their fighting skills. Her and Soul hadn't any particularly new moves to try out, so it mostly involved perfecting the old ones. To some, it may seem silly to go over the basics, but as Soul mentioned to her the other day, "if you can't rebound the ball, you may as well not bother shooting". Although the basketball metaphor went over her head at first, his explanation made her see he was exactly right. However, Soul didn't know she was going to apply it so hastily.

"Maka, its almost five o'clock! We've been at this nearly three hours straight! At least give a guy a break!" he complained for the umpteenth time.

"Soul," she replied firmly. "Once you can show me you're too tired to talk, then we'll stop." She was panting as well, but the holographic dummies at the end of the arena just kept coming. They battled their way through creeper and golem, until Maka's knees finally gave out and Soul fell down next to her.

"My, my," said Professor Stein from his perch on the balcony. "I would say practice makes perfect, but I think it's simply endurance you're gaining." Maka scowled in his direction, not knowing how long he'd been there, but knowing it was long enough no matter what. Soul watched his meister breath heavily and wondered what had gotten her so worked up. Sure, she was usually a pain in the ass, but there was something in her demeanor in these "practices" that he couldn't put his finger on.

They walked back to their place from the DWMA, the dusky light making shadows on the streets. Their pace was more like that of a trudge and it wasn't long before Soul spoke up.

"You know," he began. "We're graduating next year. And I only need 8 more souls and a witch before I'm a death scythe. Don't get me wrong, I want it bad, but…" Maka seemed to ignore him, and he furrowed his brows at her.

"Maka, are you even -."

"Soul." She said and they both stopped walking. "I want to move out." He looked at her, a blank expression on his face. She really hadn't been listening.

"That's what's been in your head this whole time? What's wrong with you?" She looked at him, her face calmer than usual, and it made him uncomfortable.

"Soul, I'm going to make you a Death Scythe. And I'm going to do it before we graduate. But… I need my own space." He stood there looking at her face, wondering what was wrong with her. And then he thought, maybe it was his fault.

"Look, Maka, I know I'm not the best roommate, but if you just talk to me, we can sort it out." She giggled softly, and he was only more surprised.

"Soul, it's really not your fault."

 _Yes, it is._

"I know I've been pushing you really hard lately. And I think it's just because we're so close…"

 _That's one way to put it._

"So close to making you a Death Scythe. I want it bad too."

 _You have no idea._

"I just think having my own place will help us work together better. Maybe sharing a flat is creating too much outside tension. Besides, you didn't think we were gonna live together forever, did you?"

He realized she was serious about this, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. He sighed and placed his hands behind his head and started walking again.

"If that's really what you want…"

"It is." They walked on and when he thought she wasn't looking, he glanced at her. Her face was still calm, but there was something in her eyes. There was something in them she wasn't sharing; and he knew that that's where the real problem was.


	2. Part 2

She snuggled up next to Soul on the only couch in the living room and breathed in his familiar scent. She laid her hand on his chest and he rested his hand on her hip. After a moment his hand began to rub her back and forth along her hip and reaching down to her butt. She held him close, no longer watching what was on t.v, but waiting in suspense at what he was going to do next. His hand's range became larger and larger until he was rubbing from the bottom of her bra all the way down to her thigh and squeezing at the plump flesh. Every squeeze pulled the skin away from her other leg, allowing for a draft of air to rise up her skirt. She loved the feeling, and before she knew it she was mewling and straddling his side.

She stopped when she realized and he grinned, showing his claw-like teeth. He shifted himself beneath her and she now straddled his hips and rested her tiny hands on his chest. He placed his arms behind his head and looked at her appreciatively. She blushed and gripped his t-shirt and tightened her knees on him.

"If you keep acting this cute," he said softly. "I won't let you leave." Before she could respond, he took her mouth in his and kissed her until they couldn't breathe. When he finally released her, she got up suddenly.

"I have to go," she said.

"What? Where?"

"I just – I have to go."

"No, wait." He grabbed her wrist, but she couldn't look at him. "What's wrong?" It wasn't really a question, it was more like he demanded an answer. Tears started to form in her eyes and she tugged at her wrist, but he didn't budge. "Tell me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"It's nothing."

"Maka. Tell me what's in your eyes!"

"No!"

"Maka!"

"No!"

"Maka! Maka!" She looked up.

"Maka!" Soul said for the eighth time. "Get up! Your alarm has been going off for twenty minutes!" She moaned and sat up in bed, looking at the clock.

"What?" she said, unsure of what exactly was happening.

"Listen, Maka. If you're going to sign me up for stuff at school, you can't be the one to make us late. Get up, we have that New Student tour in less than an hour." He said, and shut the door behind him. She sat there dazed for another moment, before finally jumping out of bed in a panic.

They made it to the DWMA just in time to see the new students arriving. Maka still couldn't believe she slept through her alarm, she wanted to somehow blame Soul, but when she remembered her dream, she knew it was really her fault. She shook her head of it. _Now is not the time. You can't be distracted while giving a tour! You'll look like an idiot._ Her and Soul led the students around the empty halls of the Academy, showing them all the classrooms and the library and the back garden, until finally it was lunchtime. Several professors stood in the dining hall, prepared to answer any questions the students had thus far.

Maka sighed in relief at the break she was finally given. Even though giving tours was something she really enjoyed, that didn't mean it was easy. Usually the students were pretty docile, but this time, there were several rowdy freshman who were testing her patience. Her and Soul sat at a table at the other end of the dining hall, Soul stuffing his face and Maka sipping her iced tea.

"Is it just me," Soul said munching on his hamburger. "Or are the guys in this group a couple of wads?" She laughed lightly in agreement.

"Come on, Soul. They're boys. Did you expect anything less?"

"What's that supposed to mean? You've got to admit, I'm cooler than that." He said smugly.

"Oh right. And you're so humble about it too."

"Damn straight." Maka rolled her eyes at him, but smiled once again. She glanced at her watch and realized it was time for the second half of the tour.

"Alright, Soul. Let's do this." He groaned, but got up anyway.

Maka managed to wrangle her group of students back together for the final hour of their tour, and as they made their way towards the gym, the boys began to banter once again.

"Dude, look at her legs."

"Yeah, dude, but look at her chest! She's got a bigger rack than our last teacher!

"Haha, yeah, and way bigger than our tour guide!" The boys laughed at their own, supposed joke, and Maka knew they were talking about her. She pinched her face together and tried her best not to say anything.

"Haha, shut up dude, she'll hear you."

"Who cares? She probably knows already.

"She probably has a nice ass under that skirt though." That's where Maka drew the line. She turned around and opened her mouth to start yelling, when Soul slapped it shut.

"Who wants to play basketball?" he asked the group nonchalantly. She looked at him with a grimace and tried to bite his hand, but he removed it before she could.

"Soul, what are you doing?" But he didn't answer.

"Anybody know how to play? Or are you guys intimidated by the master?" One of the annoying boys snickered, and so the other raised their hand.

"Yeah, I'll challenge the 'master'." He said mockingly and the other guys laughed and they raised their hands also.

"Count us in, too."

"Alright, sounds good. How does three on one sound?"

Maka had no idea what was going through Soul's head. She didn't know what went through it on a regular basis, but this really had caught her off guard. They were trying to give a tour, and he thought it was okay to play basketball? She sighed in defeat as the boys ran up and down the court.

"Wow! He's so cool!" Maka glanced next to her and the two girls sitting adjacent to her on the bleachers. They ogled at Soul, pointing to him and exclaiming every time he moved. She rolled her eyes, and looked at her partner. He ran tirelessly between the guys, rebounding every shot and snatching the ball at every opportunity. She raised her eyebrows as she realized her was kicking their butts.

"He's winning against all three of them!" the girls continued to coo. "Do you think he has a girlfriend? He's so cute!" Maka smirked to herself. If only they knew she lived with him. She wondered what they would do if they found out. She looked up when she heard a ball dribbling towards her, and saw Soul coming up to her barely panting. The other guys laid in a heap behind him, dazed and confused.

"I think my opponents are out of steam." He said grinning at Maka.

"It appears so. What's got into you, anyway?"

"I was tired of hearing them talk about your ass." She was surprised at this, and she didn't know what to say. "Or how your chest was flatter than an ironing board." Her face tightened and she Maka-Chopped him in the head.

"They never said that!"

The tour finally ended, and Maka waved the students good-bye and good luck as they walked down the Academy steps. Soul stood next to her watching them leave, happy that now they could finally go home. He looked at his meister and her smiling face and remembered that she wanted to move-out. His stomach turned. When the students were out of sight, Maka sighed.

"Okay, Soul. We can go home now." She started to walk towards Soul's bike, their mode of shared transportation. "I'm sure your tired from all that running. It's a good thing we rode here." He chuckled.

"I'm actually doing okay. Seems like endurance practice paid off."

"Pft. It wasn't 'endurance practice' you ass."

"Haha, whatever you say." They were silent for a moment, until Maka's stomach growled. She blushed at the noise, and Soul laughed. "That's what you get for eating rabbit food for lunch!"

Maka sat on the couch impatiently, listening to the fumbling of pots and pans in the kitchen.

"Soul," she said. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"For the tenth time, Maka, shut up! Unless you want to buy yourself some take-out."

"Well, at this rate, I might have to." His only response after that was more banging, and so she sighed and waited for him to finish. She couldn't remember the last time he agreed to cook dinner for them. She appreciated the gesture, but if she was honest, she was a little nervous as the quality of the meal. The whole thing made her think about her partner that much more, and she didn't like it. _Did he really play that basketball game for my sake? No. That's ridiculous. I mean, even if he didn't like them talking about my ass, it couldn't possibly be from jealousy…could it?_ She laid down on the couch, resting her head on the armrest. She closed her eyes and thought of her dream from the night before for the first time that day. Her eyes snapped open as it flooded back to her, giving her a sick feeling. _That dream. I've never dreamed something like that before. "Tell me what's in your eyes". What does that even mean? I shouldn't be this confused by my own dream._ She thought long and hard about what her dream meant, and the only conclusion she could muster is that it came from stress. But never fear, she would be moving out soon, and so stress would be a thing of the past. She started to close her eyes again when Soul emerged from the kitchen.

"It's done!"


	3. Part 3

One bite of Soul's broccoli risotto and Maka was devouring the rest that was on her plate. Not only was she astounded with the flavor, but the fact that he used a vegetable like broccoli was shocking; and he even made it taste good. She finished her meal in less than a minute. Soul watched her attack her food, barely having put his fork in his mouth. She got up to get more and Soul still couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Geez, Maka. I can't say as I've ever seen this side of you…" She didn't respond and so he turned to his own food and ate like a normal human being. "Not so skeptical of me now, huh?"

"Soul," she finally said. "This is so good!" He grinned at the compliment. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"I used to watch my mother in the kitchen." He said simply.

"Well, then, your mom is amazing too! I'm so glad you cooked, at least once, before I leave." She said it so casually Soul almost didn't catch it. He stopped eating and looked at her, but she didn't notice. She still wanted to leave. He wasn't surprised at her tenacity, and he didn't doubt her commitment, but he guessed a part of him assumed they would discuss it more.

"You're really going through with it, huh." He said, almost a question. She looked at him, but he had begun eating again.

"Well, yeah. I was serious the first time, you know."

"Yeah. I know."

She looked at him a minute more, and began eating again as well. When she was finished she got up and placed her plate in the sink.

"I'm okay with you leaving." He said, and she turned on the water and drizzled soap onto the sponge. "I just want to know the real reason you want to." She didn't respond. _The real reason?_

"I told you, Soul. It's going to make us better fighters. I'm under too much stress lately and -."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why are you under stress? It's the middle of summer." She shook her head, ignoring him.

"We're graduating next year, and you know we can't live together forever. Besides, I'd like to move farther away from my dad."

"Hey, you and me both." They were silent again for another moment. "Why can't we live together forever, exactly?" he treaded lightly. But she couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you serious?"

"I just mean, why does it have to be now. Why can't you wait a year, until we actually graduate?"

"I told you, Soul, living with you is messing with our fighting. It's creating tension." She was getting frustrated, and she tried not to let it show. But Soul could sense it, and her repeating herself only made it clearer there was something she wasn't telling him.

"How?"

"How what?"

"How is it creating tension? I thought we'd been doing really good this year! I've gotten 70% of my souls in this year alone! That's results, Maka. You can't argue with that."

"I'm not arguing with it, Soul. I'm just telling you it has to be this way."

"But I don't understand."

"Well, then I can't help you!" Now she was angry. Why was he pushing her so hard? He said he didn't mind her leaving, but was he trying to force her out quicker? She slammed the faucet down on the sink to stop the water running. She couldn't remember when Soul had gotten up, but she walked past him and started picking up the table.

"Maka, tell me what's really going on!"

"I did."

"No. Tell me what's going on in your eyes!" She froze. Her blood running cold.

"What?" She said at almost a whisper.

"I can see it, Maka. I can see the secrets in your eyes! You just won't let me read them! So spill it."

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Bullshit!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him, and it was easier then he thought it would be. When he looked into her face, he realized why. She stared at him, eyes wide and tears brimming, his own eyes widened with shock. They stood close now, and Soul still held her arm up.

"Maka. If you want to leave, then leave." He said. "But it sounds to me like this isn't a solution to your problem. It sounds like an escape." He spoke gently, and she stood still and silent, tears dropping from her eyes. "It won't make things better, Maka. It will only make them worse." After that, he let her arm go and she stood there looking into his face. _An escape? What escape – what solution?_ She didn't understand how he could be so right. She couldn't face it. She couldn't face _him_. She turned away and rushed to her room, closing the door behind her.

In and out – in and out. Her chest rose and fell as Soul's hands left fingerprints all over her body. His mouth ghosted over her breasts and her navel, caressing her with his hot breath. She whimpered beneath him and she felt his lips smile. He eased her panties off with his thumbs and traced the sharp bones of her pelvis with his fingers. She shivered as they traveled beneath her thighs and squeezed. He lifted her legs up and moved his face towards her opening. She gasped as his hot tongue snaked its way around her intimate places, finding every pleasurable spot and easing every fear. In and out – up and down – circle after circle. She gripped the sheets of her bed and curled her toes, she arched and the felt the cool air on the sweat of her back. Soul raised his head, mouth and chin shining with her essence. She blushed at the sight, but he only grinned.

"I'm going to make you mine, Maka." He climbed over top of her once again, kissing her neck and jaw before reaching her lips once again. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck. Then, she felt the tip of his member touch the base of her opening. "Ready?" he asked through shallow breaths. She clung to his shoulders and nodded her head. He went in slowly, but the stretching of her virgin walls created a pain like no other. She lost her breath and she heard Soul try to reassure her. At last, the stretching stopped and he was all the way inside of her. "You good?" he said huskily. The sound of his voice made her shiver again, and she whimpered a yes. He grinned at her a again, and she moaned at the sight of his sharp teeth.

Soul shut off the bathroom light and walked down the hallway back to his room. He knew he shouldn't have drank that last soda. As he walked by Maka's room he heard a thump. He stopped and looked at her door. It was one in the morning, so he had no idea what she could be doing. He hadn't seen her since their discussion earlier and he wondered if she'd been awake this whole time. He went up to her door and gently knocked with a single knuckle.

"Maka?" he whispered, but got no answer. He started to shrug and walk away when he thought he heard her voice. "Maka?" he said again. He turned the knob and opened the door slowly, peaking in as quietly as possible. It was darker in her room than in the hallway, so it took a minute for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he saw his meister sprawled out on her bed in nothing but her cami and a pair of panties. He blushed and averted his eyes, until he heard her speak.

"Soul."

He looked towards her.

"Maka?" he replied, but she didn't respond. Was she talking in her sleep. . . did she do that? He stepped into the room, slightly, to get a closer look. Was she having a nightmare? If she was, it didn't seem to be too bad, otherwise he'd reach out to her via soul connect. She was asleep, but her face was contorted and she was sweating like crazy. Maybe she had a fever?

She looked into Soul's eyes and he placed more kisses on her neck and she breathed into his ear.

"I'm going to move now." He said, and she nodded. He pressed into her again, before moving out. In and out – in and out. He moved slowly and Maka could feel the burn in every thrust. She wanted to cry, to make the pain stop, but it was Soul. And she didn't want Soul to stop.

"Soul," she said. "Faster." He did as he was told and moved a little faster, which soon caused him to go harder.

"Maka?" he said, and she looked at him and nodded. He growled and grabbed her hips as he thrusted more fiercely than before. The burn had subsided and was replaced by a feeling of warmth, and soon was followed by a pleasure she'd never experienced before. She moaned and called out to him. Again and again she said his name, and he said hers in return. She was sweating and breathing heavy, and the pleasure only increased, until it almost blinded her.

Soul watched as his meister continued to sweat and then he found out what the thumping he had heard was. He watched in shock as Maka thrusted her hips into the air and let them fall back onto the mattress. The act was followed by a moan, and for a moment Soul was beyond confused. And then she moaned again, and he suddenly realized he shouldn't be there. He blushed fiercely as he realized what was happening to his partner, and he wanted to leave, he really did.

"Soul."

But he froze. The moaning of his name caused the hairs on the nape of his neck to stand on end. He looked at Maka, the look on her face he now read as pleasure and the sheen on her thighs he now read as desire. He blushed even more, as he realized she would kill him if she happened to wake up.

Would she though? She was moaning his name and dry humping the air; she was dreaming about sex. No. She was dreaming about sex with _him_. Now, not only did he choose to stay, he sat cross-legged on her floor and watched. He knew it was wrong, he knew she'd hate him for it. But he knew this was important, and he wanted to be there for it.

Maka was blinded by the pleasure Soul created inside of her and she called out to him over and over again. He growled into her neck, and finally he announced to her that he was almost there. He thrust into her erratically and she gripped his waist with her knees. He came with a groan and lifted his head towards the ceiling. It spilled inside of her, and she could feel it run like a river into all her deep places. The room was filled with a smell she recognized as the smell of their sex, and she moaned. They continued to breath heavily and Soul rested his head by her shoulder and then he let out a soft chuckle. She turned to him and he pulled out of her and laid by her side. He looked in to her expecting eyes and said the one thing she never thought she'd hear him say.

"I love you."


	4. Part 4

She woke up the next morning, a wreck. She was sticky with sweat, her hair was a rat's nest, she had bags under her eyes, and the worst part: her panties were wet. She groaned into her pillow and breathed in the salt from her tears the night before. She felt like crying again from shear exhaustion and frustration with herself. She was about to get up when there was a gentle knock at her door. Soul. Panicking, she shoved herself under her comforter and turned her back towards the door, aiming to fake sleeping.

"Maka?" Soul said gently. She tried not to let his voice affect her, but it made her shoulders tense and she prayed how wouldn't notice. She laid there quietly, shutting her eyes as she heard him come farther into the room. "Maka, I brought you breakfast." She could smell the eggs and the fresh coffee, but she still didn't stir. "I'll set it on your table for when you wake up." She heard him set it down, sigh, and then leave the room. After a moment, she deemed it safe and sat up once again. _He made me breakfast. He's never done that; at least not done it and brought it to me._ She looked at the tray and saw eggs, toast, a cup of coffee, and a bowl of strawberries with a dollop of cream on top. She smiled and the gesture warmed her face. _Soul._

Maka didn't leave her room at all that day. She laid in bed, read a book, paced around, and attempted yoga. Most importantly, she did a lot of thinking. To her surprise, Soul didn't knock on her once after making her breakfast. She appreciated the privacy he gave her, but she couldn't help but find it odd. _I wonder what he's up to today. I haven't heard much movement outside… it doesn't matter. If I don't figure out what to do about these dreams, it won't matter where Soul is._ She sighed for the hundredth time that day and laid down on her bed. The dream from last night remained just as vivid as it had while she had been sleeping. She rolled on to her side and brought her knees to her chest. Why did these dreams cause her such distress.

" _I love you."_

Her heart thumped a beat louder as she remembered his words; how he had said them to her in the most intimate moment. She had to remind herself it had only been a dream. _But it felt so real! The pain, the pleasure… everything._ And even though it disturbed her that her unconscious mind was capable of such complex actions, she still recognized her enjoyment of them. She enjoyed Soul's hands on her body and his breath on her skin. _If it felt real in a dream… I wonder what it would be like in reality…_

She slapped her cheeks as the thought entered her mind. _No. It's not allowed. I can't do that, let alone entertain the idea._ She grabbed the puppy plush that sat by her pillows and held it close, closing her eyes. _If merely dreaming of Soul in this way is causing me problems, I don't want to know what it could do to us in real life._

" _Tell me what's in your eyes!"_

She looked into the eyes of her plush dog, as if waiting for him to speak. _My eyes. He sees something in my eyes…_

Soul pressed his fingers harder onto the throttle, and the bike revved and sped up in response. He grinned as bystanders stopped short on street corners and held their kids close to keep them away. He rarely had these moments to himself. He felt free and adventurous, as if he didn't have enough going on in his life already. He'd had enough adventure for a lifetime. But this was different. This was explorative.

He drove towards a less crowded part of town, where he could take in more of the scenery of Death City. He knew desert was outside, and as one got closer to the edge, the more barren it got. He loved the look of sand on the road and the shadow of cacti in the distance. He stopped when he neared the edge of the city and walked into a convenient store to get some water. He returned to his bike, bottle of water sweating in his hand. He took several gulps before tossing the empty bottle into the nearby waste bin. Instead of getting right back on his bike, he leaned against it, taking in the sights around him.

A few people walked up and down the sidewalk, some holding hands with children. Some stood outside their shops and yelled out the name of their best-selling products. He looked on in contentment, not questioning anything about the culture he had begun to call home. He'd lived in Death City for 6 years now, and most of it had been with Maka. Maka had lived here way longer than he had, ever since her mom left her dad. He thought of little, pig-tailed Maka complaining to her dad to get a job and a life and he laughed to himself. She shouted complaints like that to him too. "Get off your ass and get groceries!" or "Why am I always the one picking up after both of us?", and of course he couldn't forget about Maka Chops. He sighed and got back onto his bike, kicking the stand out and revving the engine once again. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with that meister of his, but he'd decided that letting her move out wasn't an option.

When he returned home, all the lights were out and Maka was nowhere to be found. He assumed she must still be in her room. He strode into the kitchen to fill his empty stomach, deciding on leftovers to be the perfect solution. Everything in the apartment seemed to be exactly how he'd left it, which made him wonder if Maka had stayed in her room all day. He shook his head and shoved a bite of cold risotto in his mouth. He thought about offering to bring her something, but he already took care of breakfast. If she wanted something, she was gonna have to come get it herself. In reality, he hoped she would. His last interaction with his partner was rather one-sided; well, hers was two-sided, but he was merely an onlooker. He didn't think asking about the incident was the right approach, but he sure as hell was going to try and weasel it out of her. He laughed to himself in anticipation of Maka's face when she found out he'd heard. He knew his well-being was at stake, but he'd decided the pros outweighed the cons.

Unfortunately for Soul, Maka didn't exit her room until midnight. She walked into the living room in sleep shorts and a baggy t-shirt and her hair in a bun. It wasn't attractive, but her hunger had gotten the better of her. She stopped when she heard that the t.v was on, but when she peaked around the corner, she saw Soul was asleep on the couch. She giggled as she watched his mouth fall open and a snot bubble form in his nostril. She tiptoed to the kitchen in search of something she could sneak back to her room. It took her some opening of several cupboards (and the fridge twice), but she finally decided on a pb&j sandwich. She made it as quietly as possible and was about to head back to her room, when she heard the t.v click off. She froze, sandwich in one hand and a glass of juice in the other. She heard Soul yawn and walked towards the hallway. She ventured after him, as if a spy on a mission. She peeked around the corner to see him walk towards her door and knock.

"Maka?" he whispered. She held her breath, begging him in her mind not to open the door. "Maka?" he whispered again, but when he heard nothing the second time he walked towards his own room instead. She sighed in relief at being in the clear, and so she followed him silently until she reached her door. She thought she had made it without being seen, but with both hands full, she stumbled with the door knob and dropped her class of juice. She made a small yelp as the cup hit her foot and cold liquid splashed onto her leg.

"Maka?" said Soul more loudly. _Crap._ She quickly opened the door with her now free hand and shut it just as fast. "Maka," Soul said again, "I know your awake – ugh, and you spilled water on the floor!"

"Uhm," she replied through the door. "It's apple juice…actually." Her sheepishness did nothing to keep Soul from barging in.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, backing up abruptly in order to miss being hit by the door and Soul's arm.

"Hey, yourself!" he said back. "What are you doing?" He looked at her with an eyebrow raised, taking note of her small sandwich.

"I got hungry." She said quietly, but changed her tone when addressing his manners. "What are you doing?"

"Wondering what you've been doing all day! You didn't come out of your room at all did you?"

"That's not true!"

"Besides just now."

"Oh…"

"Geez, Maka, what's wrong? I thought you were sick or something? What have you been doing all day?"

"That's none of your business." She said turning her back towards him and walking to her bed. He scoffed in disbelief; how could he expect anything less.

"Wha - are you serious?"

"What do you think?" Soul glared at the back of her head. She'd left him to think about her well-being all day, had him worried he'd pushed her away for good, making him cook for her, and now she'd come out to simply make a sandwich? He wasn't having it. If she wasn't going to talk to him on her own, he was going to make her. And now he had the perfect ammunition to do so.

Maka plopped herself onto her mattress, and turned her head away from Soul. She took a bite of her sandwich, making note to enunciate her indifference toward his presence. He walked toward her and stood next to her seated frame, his thighs at her eye level. But she continued to 'ignore' him.

"Go away, Soul." She ventured. But he didn't move and he made no sound. She could feel him close to her, but she pretended no to notice.

"You really want me gone, huh?" he said in a leading tone. Maka sensed the change in his attitude, but she pressed on.

"Pretty sure that's what I've been saying this whole time, idiot."

"Idiot, huh…" she felt a shift of weight in the mattress, and she finally turned her head to look at Soul. She widened her eyes in surprise when she saw him, his hands on the edge of the bed bending low so his face was in front of hers. "Is that really what you think of me?" She had no idea where he was headed with this conversation, but it made her stomach twist.

"What are you doing?"

"Tell me what you did today, Maka." He said ignoring her question. Though he demanded answers from her, his voice remained steady and he spoke almost mischievously. He'd never spoken to her like this, at least not so directly, and it made her uneasy.

"It's – it's nothing. I didn't do anything today."

"Really? Maka Albarn sat in her room and did absolutely nothing? That doesn't sound like you. What's wrong?" With this, he inched closer, as if starting to climb on to her bed.

"Hey…"

"Keeping secrets from your partner is a bad idea, you know." She gulped, knowing deep down that he was right, but also realizing that if anyone was to find out her secret, it couldn't be Soul Evans.

"I've just been thinking is all." He raised an eyebrow at her, and then grinned.

"About what?" His voice had lowered, she didn't know that was possible, and it sent a shiver down her spine. "You better not be thinking of leaving still." She looked away. She could at least tell him this much.

"No." Soul's face wavered, relief flowing through him, but he didn't falter. Maka sighed. "You were right. Leaving isn't the answer…" Soul was silent a moment, trying to understand his meister's conflict.

"'Answer'? To what question?" Maka looked back at him, realizing she had revealed too much. "I knew there was something wrong. . . I could see it in your eyes. . ." Soul's smoldering interrogation had begun to fade but his face was remained close to hers. She blushed slightly at his words; words he had repeated and said in her dreams.

It was the briefest of moments, so much so that Maka would look back on it and wonder if it hadn't just been another fevered dream. Soul looked into Maka's eyes, trying harder than ever before to find the secrets his meister hid from him. Maka, for the first time in months, let her partner delve into the depths of her eyes and let him search for the answers even she didn't know how to find. They quickly discovered that even Soul Connect could not compare to the experience that followed, as Soul's very being seemed to slip away from him and was replaced by a part of Maka. It was like they floated together in the black, letting their thoughts and emotions surround them; different colors and shapes, but all resembling some memory or another. Neither of them said a word, staring into each other's eyes until Maka's eyes began to glow, her bright green eyes becoming luminescent in the dark space. Maka jolted slightly as they glowed brighter until they finally released an orb of her emotion. They both looked at it, as it floated between them. Not knowing what else to do, Soul reached out to grab it, but the moment his fingertips brushed it's fluid surface, it flashed into a bright light, blinding both of them and repelling them from the world they had just begun to enter.


End file.
